Toddler play and learning: in a nutshell

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Your toddler is on a quest to find out how everything works. Curiosity drives his play and learning. If you say ‘no’ to him every time, it’s like pouring cold water on his natural curiosity.

From about 14 months, toddlers play side-by-side with other children but not always with them (parallel play). By the age of three, they start to play with other children.

Time to play and learn

Playing lets your child’s imagination run riot. By listening, looking, touching, tasting and smelling, he starts to learn about his world. Join in these fun games and you show him he is loved and valued.

Learning at this age is a type of play and can be lots of fun:

• Touching bag. Put a variety of small objects into a bag and ask your child to put his hand in and feel one. Is it warm or cold? Is it smooth or rough? Is it hard or soft? You are teaching your child to put words to objects and discover the names of different textures.
• Building blocks. Stacking and removing can teach simple counting and maths.
• Shakers. Fill various plastic containers with sand, pebbles, rice and water. Give them a shake and discover the different sounds they make.

How to read with your toddler

Books open up amazing new worlds and experiences. Stories help him develop speech, imagination and even counting skills. Reading books together can become a much loved ritual.

• As you read the story, talk about what’s happening in the pictures; for example, ‘Look, it’s raining and he has his brolly up’.
• Ask him to identify things that he knows in the picture; for example, ‘Where is the emu on this page?’
• You can even introduce him to numbers by counting objects in the pictures; for example, ‘How many children are there in the playground? One, two, three …’.
•  Or just lose yourselves in the story.

The best picture books are those that stand up to reading over and over, night after night. Pop-up and lift-the-flap books are full of surprises. Your local library or bookshop may be able to recommend some classic picture books.

Play ideas

• Craft and creating. Nothing beats a stack of recycled paper, a paint pot and your toddler’s imagination. Finger painting, potato prints and brush painting are all fun. He will also enjoy scribbling with crayons and pencils (on paper, on walls or whatever you fancy).
• Water fun. In the bath or paddling pool, he will love emptying and filling containers. Drowning is quick and silent, even in a small amount of water, so don’t leave him alone even for a moment.
• Pretend play. By the time they are three, toddlers love dressing up in your old clothes, shoes and jewellery. They like to play house and create their own world with a doll’s house or farmyard of animals.
• Outdoor play. Climbing and running are favourite activities for older toddlers. Running means falling so be prepared for occasional spills and tears. Sandpits provide hours of sifting and digging fun.
• Books and songs. Singing and reading expand your toddler's vocabulary and help him learn to talk. He loves sharing a burst of ‘Incey wincey spider’  (in Baby Karaoke) or exploring the pages of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
• Discovery. To see how things work, he will open and close drawers, push buttons on the DVD player and post all sorts of objects into all sorts of holes. To avoid saying ‘no’ to all his discovery play, remove access to valuable items. Make up a ‘magic box’ full of interesting things, like reusable stickers, shiny paper, stacking cups, a pop-up book, old cards, crayons, dominoes and a small peg puzzle. Sneak in some new items occasionally so he gets a surprise the next time he opens it.

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  Newsletter snippet: Toddler play and learning: in a nutshell
  

  
  By Raising Children Network

  Playtime is learning time for your toddler. When she plays, she is developing her physical skills, self-esteem and confidence.
  
  Play ideas

  • Touching bag: place small objects in a bag to help your toddler put words to objects and discover the names of different textures.
  • Building blocks: stacking and unstacking can teach her simple counting and maths.
  • Shakers: fill plastic containers with sand, pebbles, rice and so on to help her discover different sounds.
  • Craft and painting: give your toddler recycled paper, some paint and crayons so she can finger paint, scribble or make potato prints.
  • Pretend play: have a collection of old clothes, shoes and jewellery so your toddler can play dress-ups.
  • Outdoor play: build a sandpit for hours of digging.
  • Books and songs: sing and read together to help her learn to talk.

  This article is an extract only. For more information, visit  raisingchildren.net.au/play__learning/toddlers_play_learning.html.

  Sourced from the Raising Children Network's comprehensive and quality-assured Australian parenting website www.raisingchildren.net.au.